Diminished Disposition
by tt22123
Summary: Jack is weak and almost dead when the guardians found him after Pitch snapped his staff in two pieces. Bunnymund helps him to feel better and invites him to live in the Warren. Will turn into JackRabbit. I do not own any of the characters within, nor the original story or the film.


"Pitch was right, he knew my worst fears and he was right. The guardians will never accept me. He said it, I'm not one of them and he was right. I've never seen Bunny so mad, he was going to hit me, Tooth and North both looked so disappointed in me. Pitch tricked me and in doing so he made my worst fear come true. You should go Baby Tooth, fly back to the other's, they'll protect you, I don't even have my staff anymore, I'm no use to you, I can't even fly out of this crevice. Save yourself Baby Tooth, with any luck the cold will finish me off without my staff and I won't be able to screw things up anymore. You have to get out of here."

Baby Tooth flew out of the crevice and as fast as she could she took off to the other pole, determined to get the others to help. As soon as she got to North's she went into the globe room and flew straight up to Tooth.

"Baby Tooth! You're alive! How did you escape Pitch?" She paused to listen to the quiet twittering of the young fairy. "Jack saved you? Where, where is he Baby Tooth? Is he okay, is he hurt?" Tooth's face fell as she listened before looking at the other two guardians. "We've got to go, now."

"Where are we going? That drongo ruined everything and now he needs our help. Tough."

"I'm not asking Bunny, he gave Pitch his staff to save Baby Tooth and he snapped it. Jack is out there, alone, with no way to defend himself, because of us. He is out there hoping for death because Pitch made him believe that he'll never be accepted by us, his worst fear was to disappoint us and Pitch personally guaranteed it coming true. He figures that without his powers he will die in the Antarctic, I don't want to wait and find out if he is correct."

"Well what are we waiting for, you drongos, you take the sleigh and I'll meet you there with my tunnels." Bunny didn't even wait for a reply before creating a tunnel straight to the other pole. Popping up on the other side of the world he began instantly sniffing the air to find the teen. He nearly missed Jack if it weren't for him almost falling into the crevice himself. It was darker and he couldn't see if there was anyone at the bottom but the scent was definitely stronger so he decided to check it out.

When he landed he felt something under his paw and bend down to feel for it, quickly realising that it was the two pieces of the teen's staff. He picked them both up before turning around on the spot to look for the teen, his eyes having adapted to the darkness so he could see just as well as he could during the day.

As soon as he saw the boy he hopped over to him and felt himself put somewhat at ease by the sight rise and fall of his chest. Gaining no response from the teen, he placed the staff pieces atop Jack's stomach before lifting the boy and pulling him close into his chest and jumping out of the crevice. The whipping wind seemed to have calmed somewhat so it merely caressed the two, as if a mother looking after her young. Within 30 seconds Bunny saw Baby Tooth flying towards him and the sleigh not far behind, once they were close enough he jumped into the sleigh rather than it having to land and take off again.

He immediately sat on the floor with Jack in his lap, curling around the teen as much as possible to keep him warm.

"Blankets, furs, anything we've got that is warm, cover him," Bunnymund demanded as they flew. Tooth went to move the pieces of his staff to cover the teen with the thick blankets she found but was stopped. "Don't. He seems to be slightly better in contact with his staff." The material was draped across the two of them before being tucked tightly around the pale spirit and his broken staff.

"What do we do Bunny?"

"Keep him as warm as we can and hope he wakes up, then we show him that we believe in him and he should be able to mend his staff if he just has a little faith." An hour or so later found Jack wrapped up in the infirmary at Santoff Clauson's, Aster curled up with him to keep him warm and offer silent comfort, a fire blazing in the corner while the other two guardians looked on. North talking quietly with Aster while Tooth sat there fiddling with the cylinder of Jack's teeth. Suddenly a girl's voice sounded out through the room, calling for the once brunette boy, and everyone was so focused on the golden object that none of them realised that Jack's hands tightened around each half of his staff.

"Jack, I'm scared."

"-we're going to have a little fun instead- hopscotch like we play every day- 1,2, 3!"

On three the teen jerked and his hands covered the staff pieces instantly in ice, it freezing a brilliant white in the crack between the pieces before covering the entire thing in frosty ferns.

"Jack, you alright mate?"

"Bunny?" Jack's voice sounded weak and childlike as he said this single word and the other three remembered just how young the teen was, only 14 when turned and frozen at that age.

"It's me ya drongo. How you feeling?"

"Tired. Cared for. Warm, really warm." Bunny went to move away, realising that with the return of his powers the teen wouldn't like the warmth and it would be uncomfortable for him, but found himself being stopped by a pale hand. "I didn't say leave," Jack stated as he kicked the covers off the two of them, "there, see, sorted."

"Thank you Jack." The guardians had decided to focus on the teen being healthy, then Pitch, then they would focus on letting Jack know that they were wrong to send him away and that he would always be welcome.

"What for Tooth?"

"You gave up your powers, your soul, your life, to save Baby Tooth from Pitch."

"That's why Manny chose me you know, I saved my sister on my lake, I died of hypothermia under the ice and he brought me back as Jack Frost. He knows that I would protect others even if it cost me everything. I had to save her, it was the right thing to do. What-what's happened with Pitch, how long was I out?"

"A few hours. It's- it's not so good. He's managed to destroy the hope of most children, there's just a few left."

"Jamie?"

"He's one of the few. One of the only."

"We gotta go, we gotta fight him." Jack tried to sit up and get out of the bed but found himself being held firm by the Pooka.

"You aren't well Jack, you were mostly frozen when we got to you. You gotta stay-"

"If you finish that sentence with the word 'here' I will have to hurt you. Pitch is out there spreading fear. We have to fight. I have to fight. I will not let him get Jamie." This time he elbowed the Pooka and stood, leaning somewhat on his staff for support as he moved out of the infirmary and to the globe room, the others following behind him when suddenly he stopped in the doorway.

"Frostbite?"

"No, no, this can't be right. There's only one light left."

"WHAT?" the other three exclaimed simultaneously before moving so they could see the globe past where Jack had stopped in front of them. Jack flew over to it and ran a finger gently over the single remaining light.

"Jamie. We've got to get to save Jamie. We've got to get to Burgess. Bunny, your tunnels would be quickest, yes?" The Pooka nodded and they all gathered together in a huddle before he thumped his foot twice. As they travelled through the tunnel Aster seemed to be shrinking, going from his tall stature into that of a normal, fluffy rabbit so Jack held him in his arms so he was okay. Aster knew that he would be fine, if embarrassed, but didn't say anything as he enjoyed the thought that the boy cared for him. Once they appeared Jack flew instantly to the Bennett's house and to Jamie's window, hearing him talk to the Easter Bunny. The others watched as he drew pictures in the ice on the window before making them come alive for the boy.

Once they had Jamie, and his friends', help the fight passed quickly, the return of Sandy proving to be a highlight as they had all thought him dead. Jack watched the dream sand spread out and returned the hug he was given by Jamie, before moving to stand on the sleigh where they others were all ready to go.

When they were back at the Pole they were all hugging each other in celebration, Jack spending slightly longer hugging Bunnymund than he had for the others, before North decided to break out the eggnog and cookies.

"No thanks. I may be the Guardian of Fun and all that jazz but I don't find anything with alcohol particularly fun. Besides I'm 14, that would make it illegal in America and you know me, always a stickler for the rules." Jack settled between Sandy and Aster, content with holding his warm cup of chocolate between his hands, taking the occasional sip as they all joked and laughed with one another.

Occasionally Jack would feel almost bittersweet when he thought of how the fight was over and they had won, but that meant he would be on his own again. It was soon overpowered by Bunny nudging his side, sending him a smile, then making an easy comment to make the teen laugh.

It was okay until the following morning when North rushed off for an emergency with the yetis. Tooth quickly stated she was returning to the Tooth Palace with all her fairies which were free thanks to Jack opening their cages. Sandy then signed that he was going back to his island to catch up on good dreams. Finally Bunnymund stated that he was going back to the Warren to clean up and walked out of the room. Jack felt tears form as he faced the window and prepared to fly away with no real home to go to.

"You coming mate?" Jack turned and saw Bunny walking back into the room and towards him. "I turned around and you weren't there." A paw was lifted and gently swiped away the tear that was rolling down his cheek. "What's wrong Jackie?"

"I- I thought, well, I just thought that-"

"-you thought that you would be forgotten about and left?" Jack nodded while averting his eyes, more tears falling from their confines within his blue eyes. Bunnymund wiped each new tear that fell before beginning the motion of running his finger along Jack's cheekbone. "I'm going to need help with cleaning up the Warren and you aren't getting out of it that easy. Then I thought that you could stay there. If you want to that is. I mean, it may be too warm for you to live there but if you want, you are welcome to."

"You- you mean that?"

"Yeah frostbite. I mean it, so, what d'ya say?"

"What are we doing standing around here for, we've got my mess to clear up."

"Jackie-"

"Don't. Let's just go, please?" Jack asked as he began to walk to the door.

"Oi, you drongo, where d'ya think you're going? Tunnels."

"I don't know, you left the room earlier when you were leaving."

"Well North will just have to deal with there being a flower in here, won't he? Come here snowflake." Aster pulled Jack in to a hug and he felt the teen relax in his arms as he did so, hands curling gently into the Pooka's fur. "Buckle up," was whispered in Jack's ear and before he even had time to register what was said he found himself falling through the tunnels, laughter ringing in the air as he liked to travel this way. The two found themselves in the Warren soon enough and Jack was quick to call a gentle wind in front of them as they walked, carefully picking up all of the pieces of egg shell that they were going to walk through. The clean-up didn't take long with Jack using the winds to help them sweep it into a pile in the centre of the burrow. Before Bunny could get rid of it all he noticed Jack staring at the mound in despair, whispering quietly.

"You should have left me to die. You shouldn't have saved me Bunny. I ruined everything, all I do is make a mess wherever I go. Even when I try really hard to do what is right I seem to get it wrong. I wish I were dead, it's the only way to make sure I wouldn't spoil everything again."

"No snowflake, never wish that. I don't want you to ever think that again."

"It's the truth. Everything would be better if I weren't here to ruin it." Bunnymund walked over and scooped Jack into his arms.

"Don't you dare think of yourself like that. You are nothing but amazing."


End file.
